This is that time of year. How do you remove salt that one tracks into the interior -- in particular onto the carpet?

Does anyone here wash the underside of cars? How?

Is there a decent place in Chicagoland where one can have the underside rinsed?

 

Well, a car wash rocker panel wash won't help on such a low car, so that's out of the question.

You can always jack it up on all fours or somehow get it on a lift and spray away with some scrubbing.

 

All Weather Floor Mats in Winter and breakup....

 

I just drive through one of those high-pressure brushless car washes. They have a high-powered spray that blasts the wheel wells, rocker panels, and underside of the car, to some extent. It is not a perfect solution, but it has kept my car looking very good for almost six years. If you have a lot of energy you can spray the lower panels w/ QEW and power spray w/ hose nozzle or drive through car wash. That will take a lot more bad stuff off. And if you have a lot of time and energy, get a sheepskin mitt, a couple of buckets, and some good wiping towels.

To reduce getting salt, sand and sh*t into the car I turn sideways and sit down w/ my feet outside of the car, and click my heels and soles together several times before putting them inside. That helps a lot.

Happy winter driving!

 

I thought I was the ONLY person that did that. I order everyone who sits in my car to do the same and they look at me like I am a lunatic. :v

 

I haven't made others do it, but may start now.

 

Got to do it. They teach it in elementary school in Alaska!

 

Thanks all.

Is there a place in Chicago with high pressure wash? What is QEW?

Thanks for the tip re entering the car.

 

QEW = Quick and Easy Wash

It is truly a wonder product: One 32 oz. bottle of Quick & Easy Wash does 32 car washes. You can wash anywhere without rinsing; where water use is restricted such as campgrounds, storage facilities, apartment parking stalls, airplane tiedowns, marinas and even in your garage.

They are having a 2 for 1 sale of QEW. Check out their Website @ http://www.protectall.com/qe.aspx

If you really want to know about QEW, go the the Website of pro detailers @ http://autopia.org/forum/ and do a search on it.

I love this stuff! It seems too good to be true, but this is one that is very good.

 

I don't know what part of Chicago you're from but the Turtle Wax car washes have an undercarraige wash. There's one in Skokie, on Skokie Blvd. just south of Golf Rd. I haven't been there in a long time, I usually have the dealer wash the car for free, so I can't say with 100% certainty that they still have that, but you can always call.

Also, I don't know about the E55, but I know my CLK500 has plastic covering the bottom of the car so I dont think salt is a big problem for the undercarraige. If that's the case with your car, you can get away with only having the rocker panels and wheel wells washed very well. If your dealer does it for free I'd just ask them to do that for you.

 

Thanks. Is QEW like Dry Wash'n Guard -- which seems to be something one cleans with w/o water?

I will look for the Skokie Blvd. Turtle Wax place. Thanks.

 

Not sure what a "Dry Wash'n Guard" is, but QEW is not a dry wash. It requires water. You can wash a large vehicle w/ one oz. of QEW in about two quarts of water. You get the car a little wet, but do not have to rinse or even wipe dry for that matter. I usually wipe mine off though. You can completely wash your car in your garage or in the driveway w/out getting the floor wet--at least not too wet. It has a little wax in it so your car usually comes out looking freshly detailed. After that you can keep it looking that way w/ a weekly application of QD (Quick Detail) and a soft cloth.

 

QEW: Check out this thread http://autopia.org/forum/showthread.php?t=65424

 

Q: This is that time of year. How do you remove salt that one tracks into the interior -- in particular onto the carpet?

A: Use a stiff brush to dislodge any loose road salt and then remove with a vacuum, spray the area with a carpet cleaner and let it soak in, the salt stains are alkaline in nature, so I'd reach for an acidic product to counteract/neutralize. You might find that rinsing with a solution of white vinegar /water helps. Repeat until most of the stain has been lifted. Finally clean carpets by spraying the area with a carpet shampoo rinse and then remove with a carpet extractor. Using the vacuum, remove the excess moisture, loose dirt and the grime, allow carpets / mats to thoroughly dry before use, and then apply a fabric protection (303TM High Tech Fabric Guard) Be aware that once you add water to salt it becomes corrosive, so take care to dry the affected area thoroughly after the salt has been removed.


Q: Does anyone here wash the underside of cars? How?

A: The salts (often mixed with grit / sand for tyre adhesion) commonly used are;
(a) Sodium chloride (NaCl) the most common salt used
(b) Calcium chloride (CaCl2) works at lower temperatures than sodium
chloride.

Although salt is inert when subjected to freezing (15 - 20oF ) it’s considered the lower limit for salt to melt snow/ice but once H2O, even in the form of moist air (i.e. humidity) is added the freezing point is lowered and the saline solution(salt/water) will have an adverse effect on the vehicles paint and undercarriage.

When washing the vehicle ensure that all salt is removed to avoid a saline solution remaining on the paint finish. Using a durable protection (Collinite Insulator Wax) will provide a sacrificial and renewable protection to the vehicles paint finish.

Magnesium chloride (MgCl2) is very effective even at the lowest temperatures but also contains the most aggressive corrosives (especially on glass surfaces) and (d) a sprayed brine solution, it is used to prevent snow / ice adhesion to the road surface. Needless to state that all these salts are acidic / corrosive so once you've removed the ice / snow it may be advisable to 'neutralize ' the residue road salt with an alkaline solution, (Canada-POR15.com) especially from the undercarriage and suspension:

Methodology
•Thoroughly spray an undiluted citrus cleaner (P2IS Total Auto Wash) allow the solution to dwell for ten to fifteen minutes and remove by thoroughly rinsing with water.
•If you have a pressure washer available, fill tank with citrus cleaner and spray undercarriage (do not use excess pressure as water may penetrate crevices and seams where it cannot drain, causing corrosion), let it soak and then remove with plain water
•Spray undercarriage with (POR-15 Marine Clean™) one application will leave no residues, noxious fumes or flammable solvents (Canada-POR15.com)
•Apply two coats (allowing first coat to dry) of a rust inhibitor paint (POR-15 Rust Inhibitor, allow drying (3-6 hours) between coats.

 

Thank you TOGWT. You are most knowledgeable. I appreciate the references for follow-up. BTW what is a carept extractor?

 

Using a Carpet Extractor:
An extraction system process is the choice of professional detailers due to its cost effectiveness, performance efficiency and time saving over conventional methods. Extractors work by using a cleaning solution dispensed from a tank that heats the solution to 200oF+ and is sprayed at medium pressure, high volume from the machine via a cleaning wand; it is then filtered and re-circulated.

Extraction also allows the ability to remove cleaning residues due to its high suction power (100-inch water gauge +). Rinsed fabrics look and smell cleaner and resist soiling better.